Selling surplus crops can turn excess harvest into useful trade value when the colony has secured its food and feed needs.
PC / Global, current base game; DLC optional
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
A dedicated bulk-crop stockpile accessible to caravan loading and, where applicable, visiting bulk-goods traders or faction bases.
Crop trading is a logistics task as much as a growing task. First decide what the colony must keep for meals, animal feed, and other uses. Store the remainder where it can be loaded for a caravan or reached by a suitable visiting trader, then confirm that the buyer accepts the crop. Prices and trade terms depend on difficulty and colony factors, so treat sale value as variable rather than a fixed return.
A harvested crop beyond food, feed, and production reserves.
A stockpile configured to accept the crop and reachable by haulers.
A visiting trader or caravan capable of trading the crop.
Colonists available to haul and complete the transaction.
Review food stores, upcoming seasonal needs, and livestock feed before labeling anything surplus.
Create or adjust a stockpile that accepts the selected crop; keep it near storage access or the caravan loading area.
When a trader arrives, inspect its trade list to confirm it will buy the crop and review the offer.
For a caravan, select the crop in the caravan formation inventory and check the carried load before leaving.
Sell only the quantity that remains after colony reserves are protected.
Use the proceeds for a specific colony need and update stockpile permissions so later harvests do not silently consume reserved goods.
Farming tips
Raw bulk crops are heavy and can require substantial hauling; compare the load with the value of what you need to buy.
Store food for the colony first, especially when the local growing season is short or animal feed is scarce.
Repeat, collect and use
This is repeatable whenever a harvest leaves genuine surplus and a suitable buyer or caravan is available. It does not guarantee a sale or a fixed price.
Common mistakes
Calling all harvest surplus: reserve meals, feed, and seasonal stores before trading.
Loading without checking the buyer: inspect accepted goods and caravan capacity before moving a large batch.
Treating market comparisons as universal: trade prices and colony circumstances vary.
When to stop or switch
Stop selling a crop when the remaining stock would compromise food, feed, or production reserves, or when hauling it costs more effort than the current trade is worth.
